Many young Kenyans are moving away from traditional white-collar jobs and exploring new ways to earn a living. Among them is Alex, the owner of Afrik Dairy Farm in Kiambu County, who is successfully growing his dairy business.

Alex, who was born and raised in a compound filled with dairy animals,  was inspired by his grandfather to venture into dairy.

Afrik Dairy Farm is home to dairy cows, dairy goats, Dorper sheep, breeding goats, calves, and in-calf heifers. He specializes in dairy breeding, goat breeding and sheep breeding.

In a YouTube interview, Alex explained that returns in dairy farming are made once the animals start producing milk and giving heifers. He noted that a single dairy cow can produce up to 40 litres of milk daily, milking 18 litres in the morning, 16 in the afternoon and 8 litres in the evening, which he sells at Sh50 per litre.

To ensure a steady supply of fodder, he has leased land in different locations, as his farm does not have large enough fields. He works with multiple landowners and uses trucks to transport the harvested fodder to the farm.

He also shared a ‘secret’ to ensuring heifers are ready for breeding at 13 months, stating that the process starts with proper feeding from day one. Farmers should provide each calf with six litres of milk daily, supplemented with calf pellets until they reach four months. This feeding regimen ensures the calves grow at the right pace and are ready for breeding at 13 months.

“For a bulling heifer, we sell them for Sh150,000, and for in-calf heifers, they are going for Sh300,000, depending on the expected production,” he added.

To ensure proper record-keeping, every animal on the farm has tags to help track them, with a farm employee responsible for managing the records.

Additionally, Afrik Dairy Farm has a full-time veterinarian who visits the farm every morning. Even when all cows are healthy, the vet conducts routine inspections, observes the animals and interacts with farm employees who closely monitor their health.

“For the small calves, we keep them somewhere warm where there is no wind. We ensure the floor is serrated and raised to prevent them from sleeping on a wet surface, and we also make sure they get enough lighting,” Alex stated.

He feeds the calves on calf pellets and mixes dry hay with dry Napier grass and dry maize stalks. He added that they are fed on six litres of milk daily for four months to ensure healthy growth and development.

Furthermore, sawdust is sprinkled on the floor to keep the calves warm and protect their hooves and skin. The calves are also supplemented with calcium, yeast for improved digestion, and multivitamins.

Afrik Dairy Farm also keeps dairy goats, including Toggenburg, Saanen, German Alpine, and British Alpine breeds. In addition, he has a local breed of sheep that has been crossbred with Dorpers solely for meat production.

Alex encouraged young aspiring farmers to start with the resources they have, no matter how limited. He advised against taking on dairy farming as an overwhelming venture from the beginning but rather starting small and growing gradually over time.